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Unfortunately Chinese squatters from the 6th mile Bukit Timah 
Road and the 5th mile Thomson Road continue to cut down and 
devastate the better parts of the belukar, and what remains of forest, 
between the Pierce and MacRifchie reservoirs. In so doing, they 
set back the natural regeneration of the forest by twenty or thirty 
years, and let in thickets of resam and bracken in which re-establish- 
ment of the forest is almost impossible. The destruction they are 
causing cannot possibly be made good by any planting scheme which 
it would be practicable to carry out. 
Penang 
Hill Gardens .—The gardens at Bel Retiro, Strawberry Hill, The 
Crag Hotel, Bellevue, Convalescent, Fern Hill, Woodside and Hillside 
were maintained during the year as usual. At Bel Retiro the 
principal changes were on the west and south sides of the house, the 
western slope being improved and the old Hibiscus hedge removed, 
and a low Bougainvillea hedge planted on the west side of the 
southern end of the house. At the Crag Hotel the new terraces at the 
entrance were planted, thus greatly improving the approach to 
hotel, and a path was made connecting these terraces with the grotto 
path below the dining room block; this provides an almost level 
path from the entrance to the Barracks on the north side of the hotel. 
The area below the north Barracks was cleared, levelled and planted 
with roses. Six Cassia fistula and six Peltophorum trees were planted 
to provide a little yellow colour among the massed Bougainvilleas 
below the dining room. The slopes between Fern Hill and 
Convalescent which had been cleared and prepared in 1934, were 
planted with conifers; on the west slope 70 plants of Pinus Merkusii 
and on the east slope a mixture of Araucaria Cunninghamii, Thuja 
plicata, Cryptomeria japonica and Pinus Merkusii. This is the first 
attempt at a conifer plantation on Penang hill, and its progress will be 
of considerable interest. 
Various new plants were tried in the Bel Retiro nursery during 
the year. The following bulbous plants were grown and flowered 
successfully: Narcissus polyanthus varieties, Watsonia, Montbretia, 
Gladiolus, Colchicum, and tuberous rooted Begonias. The Colchicum 
bulbs flowered in one week after planting. The following gave poor 
results and are evidently not suited to cultivation on Penang Hill: 
Daffodil, Iris, (tuberous rooted), Crocus, Chionodoxa, Hyacinth, Tulip, 
Cyclamen. A new consignment of roses was imported from England 
and successfully established, but it is still too early to report on them. 
Many seeds were also tried, but no new plants of particular merit 
were produced. A small additional nursery, to be devoted entirely 
to trials of new plants, is desirable. 
The Residency. —As in former years, advice on garden work at 
the Residency was given by Mr. Flippance, and arrangements were 
made for taking full charge in 1936. During 1935, considerable 
changes were made in the Residency garden; Mr. Flippance made 
preliminary plans for these, and supervised the new lay-out. A new 
terrace garden was made on the west side of the house, the^ long 
herbaceous border was altered and considerably extended, the Canna 
beds set back to correspond, and provision made for a pergola behind 
them. The orchid garden was re-planned and re-planted. A number 
of trees were planted in the outlying parts of the grounds. 
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